Editing COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia (U.S. state) (section)

===State announces reopening===
As of April 21, the state had over 20,000 confirmed cases<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/breaking-nearly-800-coronavirus-deaths-881-confirmed-cases-georgia/P8bqjdUNaCtO39N7lQpWmN/|title=Georgia surpasses 20K cases of COVID-19, reaches 818 deaths|first1=Chelsea|last1=Prince|first2=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|last2=Zachary Hansen|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=April 22, 2020|archive-date=June 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607093128/https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/breaking-nearly-800-coronavirus-deaths-881-confirmed-cases-georgia/P8bqjdUNaCtO39N7lQpWmN//|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicted on that day that June 19 would be the earliest safe date for Georgia to relax its social distancing measures.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.healthdata.org/covid/updates |title=COVID-19 estimation updates &#124; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation |date=March 24, 2020 |publisher=Healthdata.org |access-date=April 23, 2020 |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604152437/http://www.healthdata.org/covid/updates |url-status=live }}</ref>

Nonetheless, on April 20 Governor Kemp announced that many businesses could reopen on April 24, including "gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors", with movie theaters and restaurants at 50% capacity allowed to reopen on April 27.<ref name="cbsnews1">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-georgia-brian-kemp-governor-businesses-reopen-friday/ |title=Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp allowing many businesses to reopen Friday |work=CBS News |date=April 21, 2020 |access-date=April 23, 2020 |archive-date=May 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523173303/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-georgia-brian-kemp-governor-businesses-reopen-friday/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Reactions to the reopening====
The governor's reopening decision brought widespread condemnation from inside and outside of Georgia,<ref name="cbsnews1"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/21/georgia-leads-race-become-americas-no-1-death-destination/ |title=Georgia leads the race to become America's No. 1 Death Destination |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2020 |archive-date=June 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606023636/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/21/georgia-leads-race-become-americas-no-1-death-destination/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms saying she would "continue to ask Atlantans to please stay at home"; [[Stacey Abrams]], the 2018 [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] candidate for governor, calling reopening "dangerously incompetent";<ref name="cbsnews1"/> and even President Trump (who otherwise had generally been advocating for lifting stay-at-home orders, especially in states with Democratic governors) saying at the April 22 press briefing that Georgia "can wait a little longer... safety has to predominate."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-georgia-trump-kemp_n_5ea0c674c5b69150246d0bfd|title=Trump Tells Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp He's Reopening State 'Too Soon'|last=Bobic|first=Igor|date=April 22, 2020|website=HuffPost|language=en|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-date=May 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507201002/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-georgia-trump-kemp_n_5ea0c674c5b69150246d0bfd|url-status=live}}</ref>

====May surge in cases====
As a result of the state's reopening, COVID-19 cases and deaths were predicted to rise in Georgia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/cases-deaths-projected-rise-state-reopens/q4jJqCtX9bmqujkZPa5OdK/|title=Coronavirus cases, deaths projected to rise as Georgia reopens|last=Mariano|first=Willoughby|date=May 6, 2020|website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|language=en|access-date=May 7, 2020|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605010426/https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/cases-deaths-projected-rise-state-reopens/q4jJqCtX9bmqujkZPa5OdK/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the first two weeks following the April 24th reopening, the gradual downward trend in new daily cases and deaths continued.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/coronavirus-georgia-covid-dashboard/jvoLBozRtBSVSNQDDAuZxH/|title=Coronavirus in Georgia: COVID-19 Dashboard|date=May 18, 2020|website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|language=en|access-date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=June 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606135648/https://www.ajc.com/news/coronavirus-georgia-covid-dashboard/jvoLBozRtBSVSNQDDAuZxH/|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 9 the decline trend of new cases dissolved, and May 13 began a "second wave" of increasing daily rates of new cases.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report|title=COV19 Cases Over Time; 7-day average|access-date=March 14, 2020|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605120521/https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Coronavirus task force====
Governor Kemp first announced the creation of an 18-member coronavirus task force on February 28.<ref name="ap-task-force-feb">{{cite web |work=Associated Press |title=Georgia governor creates coronavirus task force |url=https://apnews.com/dcd8f617932f1f82fbc9d6d4b4bbccab |publisher=AP News |access-date=April 24, 2020 |date=February 28, 2020 |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229194623/https://apnews.com/dcd8f617932f1f82fbc9d6d4b4bbccab |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="kemp-pr-03-02">{{cite web |title=Gov. Kemp Names Coronavirus Task Force |url=https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-03-02/gov-kemp-names-coronavirus-task-force |publisher=Office of the Governor |access-date=April 24, 2020 |date=March 2, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527165143/https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-03-02/gov-kemp-names-coronavirus-task-force |url-status=live }}</ref>

On March 12, Kemp announced that he was expanding the task force to include four new committees: the Emergency Preparedness Committee, chaired by John King; the Economic Impact Committee, chaired by Jeffrey Dorfman; the Primary Care Physicians Committee, chaired by Ben Watson (R–Savannah); and the Committee for the Homeless and Displaced, chaired by Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta.<ref name="03-12-kemp">{{cite web |title=Gov. Kemp Urges Calm, Announces Coronavirus Task Force Subcommittees |url=https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-03-12/gov-kemp-urges-calm-announces-coronavirus-task-force-subcommittees |publisher=Office of the Governor |access-date=April 24, 2020 |date=March 12, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527221412/https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-03-12/gov-kemp-urges-calm-announces-coronavirus-task-force-subcommittees |url-status=live }}</ref> This increased the task force's size to 66 members.<ref name="bluestein-ajc-task-force-66">{{cite web |last1=Bluestein |first1=Greg |title=Kemp expands Georgia's coronavirus task force as pandemic spreads |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/kemp-expands-georgia-coronavirus-task-force-pandemic-spreads/Cmvu0TS30JjDXxaq1MkNMO/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=April 24, 2020 |date=March 21, 2020 |archive-date=April 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424170704/https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/kemp-expands-georgia-coronavirus-task-force-pandemic-spreads/Cmvu0TS30JjDXxaq1MkNMO/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 20, Kemp revealed the complete list of committee members.<ref name="kemp-task-force-03-20-2020">{{cite web |title=Kemp Names Coronavirus Task Force Committees |url=https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-03-20/kemp-names-coronavirus-task-force-committees |publisher=Office of the Governor |access-date=April 24, 2020 |date=March 20, 2020 |archive-date=April 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420032046/https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2020-03-20/kemp-names-coronavirus-task-force-committees |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kemp added a fifth committee on April 5, the Community Outreach Committee, co-chaired by Bernice A. King and Leo Smith.<ref name="asb-ajc-kemp">{{cite web |last1=Burns |first1=Asia Simone |title=Kemp expands coronavirus task force with community outreach committee |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/kemp-expands-coronavirus-task-force-with-community-outreach-committee/JXEaBs8xUVhG0AslZpwaoK/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=April 24, 2020 |date=April 5, 2020 |archive-date=April 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408045740/https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/kemp-expands-coronavirus-task-force-with-community-outreach-committee/JXEaBs8xUVhG0AslZpwaoK/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Quarantine sites====
On March 9, Governor Kemp announced the preparation of [[Hard Labor Creek State Park]], located in [[Morgan County, Georgia|Morgan County]], as a quarantine destination for diagnosed individuals "without other options".<ref name="ajc-corona-redmon"/><ref>{{cite web|date=March 9, 2020|title=State park outside Atlanta being prepared for coronavirus isolation|last=Braverman|first=Jason|work=11Alive|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/hard-labor-creek-state-park-coronavirus/85-90b7939e-46c5-46c7-a3ba-1dff5f068d06|access-date=March 13, 2020|archive-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105150829/https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/hard-labor-creek-state-park-coronavirus/85-90b7939e-46c5-46c7-a3ba-1dff5f068d06|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 10, a coronavirus patient from [[Cherokee County, Georgia|Cherokee County]], who did not need hospitalization but lacked adequate quarantine conditions at home, became the first to be relocated to the park; he was released on March 15.<ref>{{cite web|date=March 10, 2020|title=First coronavirus patient relocated to Hard Labor Creek State Park|last=King|first=Michael|work=11Alive|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-patient-hard-labor-creek-park/85-dc5e4b1b-eb13-4e28-b217-a86e7c105d18|access-date=March 13, 2020|archive-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105150820/https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-patient-hard-labor-creek-park/85-dc5e4b1b-eb13-4e28-b217-a86e7c105d18|url-status=live}}</ref> A second person arrived on March 17.<ref name="ajc-corona-redmon">{{cite web |last1=Redmon |first1=Jeremy |title=Second coronavirus patient arrives at Georgia's special quarantine site |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/second-coronavirus-patient-arrives-georgia-special-quarantine-site/wd3FbOD7MhZaQpxdmmRA5J/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 19, 2020 |date=March 17, 2020 |archive-date=April 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422021045/https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/second-coronavirus-patient-arrives-georgia-special-quarantine-site/wd3FbOD7MhZaQpxdmmRA5J/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Georgia stopped using this location on March 24. {{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

A second quarantine site was constructed at the [[Georgia Department of Public Safety]] in [[Forsyth, Georgia|Forsyth]], [[Monroe County, Georgia|Monroe County]]. The area houses twenty trailers<ref name="46-charles">{{cite web |last1=Charles |first1=Kerry |title=Kemp: Quarantine site nears completion in Monroe County |url=https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/kemp-quarantine-site-nears-completion-in-monroe-county |publisher=Fox 5 Atlanta |access-date=March 19, 2020 |date=March 18, 2020 |archive-date=May 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512005023/https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/kemp-quarantine-site-nears-completion-in-monroe-county |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cbs46-kennedy">{{cite web |last1=Kennedy |first1=Jamie |title=COVID-19 quarantine sites pop up outside of Atlanta city limits |url=https://www.cbs46.com/news/covid--quarantine-sites-pop-up-outside-of-atlanta-city/article_883e8800-658c-11ea-97a6-d396dead4011.html |publisher=CBS 46 |access-date=March 19, 2020 |date=March 13, 2020 |archive-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409173033/https://www.cbs46.com/news/covid--quarantine-sites-pop-up-outside-of-atlanta-city/article_883e8800-658c-11ea-97a6-d396dead4011.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with room for up to 40 patients. This site opened on March&nbsp;24, replacing the old site.<ref name="redmon-ajc-sites">{{cite web |last1=Redmon |first1=Jeremy |title=Georgia closes isolation, monitoring site for coronavirus patients |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/georgia-closes-isolation-monitoring-site-for-coronavirus-patients/qcsF6o7p49ifx6xwhlcWjK/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 25, 2020 |date=March 24, 2020 |archive-date=March 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326102604/https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/georgia-closes-isolation-monitoring-site-for-coronavirus-patients/qcsF6o7p49ifx6xwhlcWjK/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Prisons====
{{Main|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prisons}}
The [[Georgia Department of Corrections]] (DOC) suspended visitations and announced additional sanitation measures, but the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' reported that inmates had seen no extra soap.<ref name="covid-ga-doc-prisons">{{cite web |last1=Boone |first1=Christian |last2=Sharpe |first2=Joshua |title='No extra soap': Georgia inmates say prisons not ready for COVID-19 |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/inmates-say-state-federal-prisons-ill-prepared-for-covid/JPgQovDI7tvdY3Jmh6vwvK/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 21, 2020 |date=March 19, 2020 |archive-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409173036/https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/inmates-say-state-federal-prisons-ill-prepared-for-covid/JPgQovDI7tvdY3Jmh6vwvK/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A prison worker was confirmed to have COVID-19 on March 18 — the DOC, citing "security and [[HIPAA]] restrictions", declined to name the affected prison. The first detected case on COVID-19 in a prison inmate was at Lee State Prison two days later, on March 20.<ref name="prison-covid-positive-03-20">{{cite news |last1=Blau |first1=Max |last2=Sharpe |first2=Joshua |title=NEW FINDINGS: Georgia prison inmate tests positive for COVID-19 |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local/breaking-georgia-prison-inmate-tests-positive-for-covid/2U3hE09fRS6WG9SMHOYZ7I/ |access-date=March 21, 2020 |date=March 20, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527100021/https://www.ajc.com/news/local/breaking-georgia-prison-inmate-tests-positive-for-covid/2U3hE09fRS6WG9SMHOYZ7I/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Department of Public Health====
[[File: Visit images Page 200323-A-AQ105-097.jpg|thumb|Georgia Army National Guard Lt. Col. Pervis Brown and 2nd Lt. Austin Brumby track mission assignments from the [[Georgia Emergency Management Agency]] at the Joint Force Headquarters in Marietta, March 23, 2020.]]
The Department of Public Health (DPH) releases daily coronavirus statistics, including the number of confirmed cases, deaths, positive tests, and total tests, as well as breakdowns by age, sex, and county. DPH recently began releasing numbers twice a day at 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and starting on March 24 included the number of hospitalizations. On March 27, the DPH updated the state map on its website. The DPH does not release figures regarding its backlog of tests, a measure that other states have taken.<ref name="tests-ajc-25">{{cite web |last1=Trubey |first1=J. Scott |title=No timetable for widespread virus testing amid ongoing test scarcity |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/timetable-for-widespread-virus-testing-amid-ongoing-test-scarcity/oKpCMimtpgDidMAoCThROO/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |access-date=March 29, 2020 |date=March 25, 2020 |archive-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409173032/https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/timetable-for-widespread-virus-testing-amid-ongoing-test-scarcity/oKpCMimtpgDidMAoCThROO/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On May 13, the DPH pulled a bar graph showing trends in new cases among Georgia's counties, that had been published with its bars not properly placed in chronological order (giving the false impression of descending case counts).<ref>{{Cite news|title='It's just cuckoo': state's latest data mishap causes critics to cry foul|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/just-cuckoo-state-latest-data-mishap-causes-critics-cry-foul/182PpUvUX9XEF8vO11NVGO/|last1=Mariano|first1=Willoughby|first2=J. Scott|last2=Trubey|website=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|language=en|access-date=2020-05-17|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605201603/https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/just-cuckoo-state-latest-data-mishap-causes-critics-cry-foul/182PpUvUX9XEF8vO11NVGO/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Georgia's Covid-19 cases aren't declining as quickly as initial data suggested they were|url=https://www.vox.com/covid-19-coronavirus-us-response-trump/2020/5/18/21262265/georgia-covid-19-cases-declining-reopening|last=Collins|first=Sean|date=2020-05-18|website=Vox|language=en|access-date=2020-05-19|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604165321/https://www.vox.com/covid-19-coronavirus-us-response-trump/2020/5/18/21262265/georgia-covid-19-cases-declining-reopening|url-status=live}}</ref>